Thursday, November 14, 2013

Things That Annoy Me Thursday: Anti-Princess

Natalie loves dressing up like a princess.

Rapunzel is her favorite.

Her room is filled with a variety of princess dresses. I'm okay with it. So it irks me when I come across articles where people are like, "I don't allow my daughter to wear princess dresses. I want her to be more."

Uh.

Okay.

I also remember reading a Halloween article where the mother said she forbid her daughter to dress up as a princess for Halloween. Someone else said that they'd allow allow their daughter to be a "strong" princess, like Merida.

I don't see what the big deal is. Make believe is an important part of growing up. I love that Natalie wants to wear princess dresses. I think it's cute. She doesn't have to be a strong princess either. I don't think it's going to stunt her growth if she prances around in a Snow White dress. So what if Snow White didn't do a whole lot? It's a story. It's a story that makes my daughter happy.

One day she'll outgrow her princess obsession. I'm dreading that day mainly because what usually comes after the cute make believe stage is the "can I have this Abercrombie an Fitch shirt?" (No.)

We're a pro-princess family.

In fact, Natalie just got the Anna dress from the new Disney movie Frozen.

31 comments:

All too often the make-believe world strays on into real life. Wherever we look today, this is seen. We Americans are a spoiled, egoistic spaced-out flock of consumers and wasters, without a passing thought for all those in dire need, struggling for their very existence.As adults/parents, we have an obligation to instill integrity and solid values into our children from the beginning for one day they will be the adults who will rule our world. Life is not a fantasy but a serious endeavor and certainly not one of make-believe. I fear one day your daughter is to face a rude awakening and most likely yourself.

*looks up* Yeah, Sissy, I think you need to relax. Try some tea. I played make believe as a kid. Somehow I managed to separate it from reality, move out of my parent's house, go to college, get a job, get married, take on a mortgage and give birth to two children. Shocking, I know. My kids like princesses too. I get that there's a movement to reach girls that they don't need a prince. That's OK in my book but we also need to let our kids be kids and that includes allowing them to indulge their fantasies. I'm sure your daughter knows she isn't really a princess. I'm also unclear on what sort of horrible values you can learn from putting on a dress. I must have missed that chapter in What to Expect.

My daughter is the same way. She loves to dress up in her different princess dresses. In fact she was given some from a neighbor and I love the fact that she uses her imagination when playing. There is nothing wrong with it. :)

We too have been through the princess phase. My daughter is past it now, but it certainly hasn't hurt her in any way! I love that she's got such a great imagination and she's now writing her own stories. She's taken that fairy tale world she used to love and is now expanding it in wonderful ways. I love reading all her new short stories and seeing the creative use of language she's using in order to create these wonderful worlds and tall tales.

Shame on you Sissy for attacking Amber and Natalie. Yes, the real world is not a fairy tale, however it's nice to be able to see the good things in life instead of the bad. You may want to look into some anti-depressants so you can stop looking at life so negatively. People will always face hard decisions and struggle, but it's how you choose to handle/feel about them that makes all the difference. I have no doubt that Amber will raise Natalie to be a smart, hard working, determined young lady and if she can pull it off decked out in princess sparkles and a smile more power to her!

I couldn't agree more!! My daughter is 6. She likes to dress up. Not just princesses but other people too.. Like cats lol.. and owls.There's a couple of people that ranted on facebook about how Disney is a bad influence on kids. But the more you deprive a child of something, the more they will want to do it. So if my little's wanna dress up as certain characters, so bed it!

I'm not a princess girl, not by any means at all. But Baby Girl is - a BIG ONE...and I don't mind it at all. I want her to have that imagination and that pretend time and just be herself. There are so many things wrong in this world, why take away the innocence of a child? I'm actually planning on getting Baby Girl some dress up clothes for Christmas - her first set ever!! This should be fun!

Oh man!! It's like the barbie debate. My daughter dressed as a princess often and she also played with barbie. She's 17 now, graduating high school with honors, accepted to a university and she's strong. Let girls be girls while they are little.

Okay, Okay already. Crucify me! Dang me, Hang me from your highest tree! Apparently I'm mistaken about everything, eh? And no Jenn, I'm not but maybe ought to be, you think? Ms Laura, I don't feel I was attacking in any manner, just pointing out certain things. You must read the whole blog to realize where I'm coming from. A comment arrived in my mailbox out of the blue,thus my reason to come here this morning. I'd deleted this blog long ago. Sorry that everyone got riled and defensive.

I love seeing little ladies all dressed up in their princess attire while they are and about with mommy or the whole family! They looks so proud and happy. LOVE THEM KIDS! Wish I had more grandaughters to make princess things for. I have one 'princess age' grandaughter. and boy does she know it! I'm so proud!

I am one that has tried to steer my daughter away from the princesses. It didn't work. She still found them, and I am okay with that. However she doesn't really *get* the princess thing yet. What she really likes about it is wearing a dress so it twirls when she dances.

I was supposed to read that book for a book club. I didn't. Oh well!Well you know we're a big princess family. My husband and I have NEVER discussed or attempted to intervene with what our daughter loves/believes about magic and fairy tales. She's four. I was a tomboy. My sister loves princesses. Guess who's now pretty much running a NYC ad agency with her awesomeness?Hint. Not me.Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that we're not ruining our children by letting them imagine and create.Squashing that? Disallowing that? Not my thing.

I Agree. I loved princesses growing up and even was a princess for halloween for like 5 years in a row. It didnt harm me in anyway and I really hope if/when I have a daughter that she will love fairytales and princesses also :)

Well said! My husband likes to jokingly call me a feminist and I'm here to say I grew up loving Barbie and princess stuff and my daughter does, too. In fact, one of my favorite moments as a mother of a little girl was giving her all my hand me down Barbie furniture.

I'm 36 and I would still love to dress up like a princess. I have two boys so my days of having a little girl to dress up won't happen but I'm sure their brides will look like princesses on their wedding day!

All three of my kids have dressed up as Princesses! Oh, by the way, I have two boys. It's dress up! It's make believe!! I used to read a lot of Ramona Quimby books as a child but I never once thought of taking one bite out of all the apples in the house. It's fantasy and there's nothing wrong with that.

I was the biggest tomboy ever, and I still loved Barbies and princesses. My toddler is a huge tomboy, loves dirt and climbing and cars, but she screams "Princess!" if she sees one. I don't see an issue. It's up to the parent to teach their kids how to be, not a cartoon.

I think this is a great post. You are right. People need to stop obsessing on these silly things and giving them so much meaning for kids. Really your daughter doesn't associate anything with those princesses right now. Her personality is drawn to these fairytales and that is the bottom line. Let her be a kid and enjoy the make believe. You are right, one day she will outgrow these things and the real fun begins :)

I love how people say doing certain things (like letting your children dress up to be princesses) hinders them. I believe in safety and providing for children and all that good stuff, but sometimes people get their panties in a bunch and refuse to let them out. So what if your daughter loves to dress up as a princess! I highly doubt that will determine whether she's a good or bad adult in the future.

can I abbreviate cuss, I am ADHD? WTH, man, are you kidding me, seriously? it's make believe... I think those people need to hit the peace pipe again & pass it b/c they are crazy... this momma would go batty & my baby girl can be whatever she wants to be, princess or an attorney or a doctor, I don't care... Gosh

I don't get the anti-reality thing. I mean, I grew up pretending I was either a horse, a puppy, a princess, a character from Star Wars, or a Native American BOY. And when life got "real" it wasn't the bite in the ass that everyone nowadays thinks it is going to be. My daughter loves princesses, because their clothes are SPARKLY. I loved them because they wore fancy dresses and talked to animals. I didn't sit around and wait for a prince to marry me. Heck, ::I:: asked my husband to marry me, LOL!Let kids be kids, I say.

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